What if you spent every day looking for One Beautiful Thing?

(Under)Water Ballet

Today, I am delighted to bring to you an exceptional dance video, performed entirely underwater by French deep-sea diver, dancer, and filmmaker Julie Gautier. The video was filmed in the world’s deepest – and apparently cleanest – pool which is located in Venice. Dedicated “to all the women of the world,” the film premiered in nearly 50 public screenings around the world on International Women’s Day.

“For me, this film is a way to say: you are not alone.”

There were no special effects used, and Gautier performed the entire dance underwater without breathing apparatus, simply holding her breath. Amazing! Trained in breath control by her free-diving world champion husband Guillaume Nery, the lovely performer seems more like she’s defying gravity than underwater. It looks to me very like dreams I’ve had all my life where I can move (and breathe) underwater as if I were on solid ground.

I can’t tell you how many dreams I’ve had over my life where I think I can kind of fly, then I realize I’m underwater and swimming. I am always initially a little disappointed, then I realize this means I can breathe underwater, and I’m thrilled.

You are definitely a mermaid! I had a dream that I could fly when I was about 4 and, in a daze, staggered to the top of the stairs and took off, ready to soar. Of course, I instead bounced down the stairs, smacked into a bike at the bottom, and the bike handle smashed through a window. My parents were not amused.